Maine lobster boat crew saves eagle from Atlantic Ocean

Lobsterman John Chipman, of Birch Harbor, said Monday that the struggling bird seemed to be relieved to see his boat and even tried to hop on board after Chipman came across the unusual sight of an eagle flopping around about a quarter-mile offshore, near Schoodic Island.“The way he was acting, I knew that he wanted help. He seemed to try to come to the boat on his own and tried to get in. He wanted out of the water,” he said.Two retired police officers aboard the boat with Chipman, Kevin Meaney, of Ellsworth, Maine, and Michelle Ritzema, of Rockford, Michigan, fashioned a makeshift raft from a life preserver, a piece of plywood and rope to save the eagle last Thursday.The eagle hopped aboard the raft and eventually was hauled onto the stern of the boat, where it dried off, Chipman said.